Trouble With Mortals
by pucktofaerie
Summary: Puck and Oberon face a new challenge that will require a ton of trickery to pull off. Harry Potter crossover. Enjoy!
1. Prologue: The Trouble With Mortals

**IMPORTANT! DO NOT SKIP! THE STORY WON'T MAKE SENSE IF YOU DON'T READ THIS!**

A/N: Alrighty then, thanks for checking out my fic. This is my first Harry Potter fic, though certainly not my first fanfiction, so…we'll see. Just so you know, this is a crossover. But it's sort of a weird crossover. If you've read Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, then you are already familiar with the characters of Oberon and Robin Goodfellow, aka Puck. If not, then here's a little background info for you. Be warned though, the fairies in this story are based more on mythological fairies.

Background info:

Oberon: Lord Oberon is the king of the fairy realm. He is also known as the King of Shadows. Oberon can change his shape and is pretty much the most powerful fey that there is. He will appear in this fic in two forms: mortal and fairy. Think tall, dark, and handsome.

Robin Goodfellow, aka Puck: Now, traditionally, Puck is viewed as a male. However, in my fic, Puck is female. Theater productions have often cast Puck as a female, and my local theater did the same thing when they performed A Midsummer Night's Dream. Puck is a shapeshifter and a trickster; her purpose is to do Lord Oberon's will and to amuse him. In this fic, I will say Puck when she is in fairy form, and Robin when she is in mortal form. Puck is only about four feet tall, though she is closer to five feet in her mortal form.

Other info: The fairy court does have lesser lords in it, at least for the purpose of my fic. My fairies are distant cousins of the ones in the normal Harry Potter world. Also, please note that in fairy form, the fey are invisible to mortals unless they want to be seen. Also, sometimes the fey, especially Oberon, will use a little Old English in their speech. I'll try not to confuse you.

Disclaimer: Okay, so I really don't own anything. Other than my interpretations of fairy lore and whatnot, the world of Harry Potter does not belong to me. Don't sue me, you won't get anything but a mountain of student loans and a really messy room.

A lot of this will make more sense as you read the fic. Be warned: this story technically takes place in the third year of Harry Potter, however, the events of that year will not really be mentioned. That's why they call it AU people—if you have a problem with it, don't read it.

Well now, that's enough of my absent minded rambles. Enjoy the show!

Prologue: The Trouble with Mortals

Puck sat idly in front of a massive willow tree that served as the entrance to Oberon's bower. Head cupped in her hands, she stared at the various forms of wildlife that wondered about the wood and wished there was some mischief nearby for her to take part in. Standing guard for Oberon was proving to be no fun.

Suddenly, Puck sprang to her feet as a familiar figure hurried through the woods towards the willow. 'Ah, perhaps I shall have some fun after all,' she thought.

"Out of my way, Puck," Lord Franteligon spat, saying the trickster's name as though it put a bad taste in his mouth. Puck merely crossed her arms across her chest and looked at him somewhat smugly.

"Lord Oberon does not wish to be disturbed," she answered. Franteligon huffed and glared angrily at Puck.

"This is important!" he seethed. Puck only shrugged her thin shoulders.

"I have my orders. It is Lord Oberon's will that he not be disturbed, and certainly not by the likes of you," she answered, clearly enjoying Franteligon's frustration.

The young lord glared at the trickster with hatred, and tried to go around her. Puck quickly side-stepped into his path-first to the right, then to the left, blocking his progress.

"You're going to have to be faster than that," Puck quipped, grinning like a chesher cat. Franteligon growled in frustration and considered lashing out at the infernal creature before him. However, at that moment, the long branches of the willow tree were swept back and Oberon came out laughing with a nymph on his arm.

Puck turned to her lord and Franteligon quickly seized his opportunity. "Lord Oberon!" he called, stepping around Puck and walking up to the King of Shadows.

Oberon rolled his eyes at the sight of one of his most annoying underlings. He dismissed the nymph at his side with a smile and straightened to meet Franteligon. "What is it?"

Franteligon straightened to his full height to give his report. "My lord, we have received word that Illyria has been seeking out changelings. She has her eye on four wizard children that she plans to raise up against you."

Oberon looked at the young lord sharply. "Really?" He looked at the pictures of the children that Franteligon conjured up.

"One of the children is twice fey-blessed. As you can see, my lord, we must protect them from Illyria's grasp."

"Indeed we must," Oberon mused. He gazed at the images for a moment longer, as though pondering the proper course of action. Franteligon looked at him expectantly.

"Puck!" Oberon called without lifting his gaze from the pictures. On command, the sprite swung down from the perch she had taken in the tree above her lord and stood awaiting instructions.

Oberon bent low to the trickster's ear. "How would you like to play in the mortal realm for a bit?" Puck's eyes lit up mischievously.

"Does my lord have some new game to play?" she asked. Oberon smiled almost wickedly.

"Get thee to my lady and inform her that she will have to be without my presence for a little longer. Meet back here before daybreak. You and I are going to England."

"The old country, m'lord?" Puck's expression went from mischievous to excitement.

Oberon nodded and waved her off. "I'll explain everything to you later. Quickly now, make haste! We have precious little time to set our plan in motion."

Puck nodded, and in a flash she was gone. Franteligon stared at Oberon in shock, and as the fairy king turned back to the willow, he hastily moved in front of him.

"My lord, surely you do not mean to send _Puck_ on this mission?" Oberon stopped and looked down at his underling, perturbed that he would dare question his judgment.

"You disagree with my course of action?"

Franteligon opened and closed his mouth a few times before sound succeeded in coming out. "Well, my lord…shouldn't you consider a bit more…mature for such a service?"

Oberon glowered at Franteligon for a moment, before responding. "Tell me, Franteligon, when was the last time you walked among the mortals?"

Franteligon hesitated, thinking back over the years. When he couldn't immediately come up with an answer, Oberon nodded knowingly.

"Exactly. Besides, who better than a _jester_ to blend in among children? Especially wizarding children." With that, Oberon turned and ducked into the willow. Franteligon was left outside, fuming silently.

"Who better, indeed?"


	2. A Trip Down Diagon Alley

A/N: Okay, so how did you like the prologue? Here's the first official chapter, though I fear it might be shorter than the prologue. The others will be longer, don't worry. I know that Diagon Alley wasn't really in the third year, but like I said before, this fic won't really reflect the third year as it is in the HP universe. Again, that's why this is AU. Hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: Yeah, so…still not mine. Too bad, cause if they were, I'd be rich.

Chapter 1: A Trip Down the Alley

"I am that merry wanderer of the night.

I jest to Oberon and make him smile…"

-Puck, aka Robin Goodfellow

Midsummer Night's Dream, Act II, Scene 1

Diagon Alley was filled with the usual pre-school year hustle. Children and parents filled the streets, moving from one shop to the next, ooing and ahhing over new items and checking things off of school lists. Among the crowd moved two individuals, a man and a girl. The man was tall and dark, relatively young, though there was something ageless about him. He guided the girl in front of him silently with his hand on her shoulder. She was small for her age, and her chestnut curls framed her heart-shaped face perfectly. From the duo's clothing it was impossible to tell if they were of wizard or Muggle blood, as their clothing was a strange mixture of the two.

Oberon bent low to Robin's ear, speaking softly to her as they moved through the crowds. "I've changed the records at the school. No one will notice your prescence there as a student." Robin nodded, moving toward the bookshop. They paused in front of it, and Robin turned to Oberon's prodding.

The lord glanced around before stepping close to the disguised sprite. "I'm going to find some things you'll need. You stay here and get your books." Oberon handed her a list out of his jacket pocket, before bending low so that their faces were level. Pointing his finger at her for emphasis, he added, "_Behave _yourself. I want no mischief out of you right now. I'll be back in a few minutes." With one more stern look to emphasize his point, Oberon turned and merged into the crows.

Robin Goodfellow sighed heavily and turned to enter the bookstore. Over the centuries Oberon had learned that a direct order was best to prevent the Puck from mischief, and she had been hoping that he would forget to issue such an order before leaving her alone. She had been looking forward to causing a bit of trouble among the mortals. But Robin resolved herself to play her role as she had been assigned. One must follow the rules of the games, after all.

The sprite entered the bookstore and mingled in among the crowd, weaving in-between the people to the shelves and tables of books. She glanced down at the list of books in her hand, alternatively scanning the list and the shop for the needed titles. Just as she began gathering the books she needed, she noticed that there was a peculiar commotion surrounding one particular table. Students and parents alike surrounded the table, some dropping books and shrieking, often moving away as quickly as possible. The chaos drew Robin's attention like a magnet, and she smiled impishly. Oberon had said that he wanted no mischief out of _her_, not that she couldn't take part in the mortals' trouble.

Robin moved over to the table. Stacks of brown books were on the table, looking terribly innocent. However, the moment one of the children or parents tried to open one of the books, vicious teeth emerged and the book attacked its holder. Robin grinned as a blond-haired boy dropped a book and gave a girlish shriek as it tried to bite him.

The sprite noticed that she needed the book to complete her collection. She picked up one of the books and carefully ran her finger over the spine before opening the clasp. The title intrigued her—a book about monsters, she couldn't help but wonder exactly what it included. The book purred softly in her hands, much to the astonishment to those around her.

"Oy, Hermione, look at this. This girl's figured out these confounded books!" A red-headed boy stared at Robin and called out to his companion. Robin quickly slammed the book shut.

"Yes, well...I have a way with animals," Robin answered, looking around for a quick escape. She spotted Oberon at the window, an impatient expression on his face. Robin quickly hurried past the children to the counter to 'pay' for her books. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a small mouse. She closed her fist around it briefly, and when she opened it again, wizard money lay in her hand. Though wizards had spells to detect such trickery, only a supremely powerful spell would be able to break fey magic.

Robin paid the cashier and hurried out to meet Oberon. They still had much to do.


	3. Hitch a Ride on the Hogwarts Express

A/N: So, how do you like it so far? Chapters will get longer as the story progresses. In coming chapters, be on the lookout for flying lessons, tricks on an uptight Snape, and all sorts of wild fun. Please read and review, it keeps my muse happy!

Disclaimer: If they were mine, things would be wildly different. Don't sue, it's not worth it, and besides, Shakespeare's been dead to long to make it worth your while.

Chapter 2: Hitch a Ride on the Hogwart's Express

"Either I mistake you shape and making quite

Or else you are that shrewd and knavish sprite

Called Robin Goodfellow. Are you not he

That frights the maidens of the villagery….

Mislead night-wanderers, laughing at their harm?

Those that "Hobgoblin" call you, and "sweet Puck,"

You do their work, and they shall have good luck…"

-Fairy

Midsummer Night's Dream, Act II, Scene I

Platform 9 ¾ was full of parents and children, each hurrying to say their goodbyes. Oberon and Robin, again in their mortal disguises, stood off to one side as Oberon gave his sprite her instructions.

The fairy king pointed to a few of the children entering the train. "Those are three of the ones you are to protect. Stay close to them, be their friend. You must earn their trust if you are to protect them when the time comes." Noticing two other individuals, one adult, one child, each with pale blond hair, Oberon shifted his focus.

"That is the fourth there. Beware of him. He is the type that would put a fairy in chains quick enough. You'll need to be careful not to draw too much attention to yourself. Play your part, and keep a sharp eye for Illyria." Oberon looked down at his sprite.

"There's an old wood on the edge of the school grounds. That is where I will meet with you. I won't be there all the time, but you'll know when I am. Look for me by moonlight. Send word if you need me, and be on your guard. Should Illyria find you out, there could be trouble."

"Fear not, m'lord," Robin answered. "Your servant shall do exactly as you command." She gave an impish bow and smirked.

Oberon rolled his eyes and grabbed her arm, pulling her upright as he glanced around to make sure that the mortals hadn't seen. "Fool," he growled, releasing her. Robin only grinned; she wasn't really afraid of Oberon—she knew that he was never truly angry with her.

The five minute call was given and the pair knew that they didn't have much time left. "Oh, I almost forgot," Oberon said, reaching into his jacket pocket and pulling out a wand. He handed it to Robin who stared at it quizzically.

"A twig, m'lord?" she asked. Oberon laughed and shook his head.

"No, no. The wizards use them for their spells. I believe this one is rowan, with unicorn hair in it. Be careful not to channel too much of your energy through it; I'm not sure what the effect would be." A whistle blew, causing the pair to look toward the train.

"You'd better hurry," Oberon said. "Be off with you. You have work to do." Robin inclined her head to him slightly before backing away and hurrying to get on the train. Oberon watched her board, smiling softly, before turning and walking away from the crowd of parents. A few steps later, he disappeared.

Robin made her way through the corridors, looking for the right compartment. She came to it suddenly, recognizing the voices within it.

"Mind if I join you?" Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked up to see a small girl with chestnut curls staring at them expectantly from the doorway. "Most everywhere else is full."

The trio exchanged glances. "Alright," Harry said. Robin entered the compartment and slid into the seat next to Hermione.

"I'm Robin," she said. "Robin Gooden."

"Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, and Harry Potter," Harry introduced, pointing to each of them in turn. He found himself oddly pleased when the new girl didn't even raise an eyebrow at his name.

"I don't believe I've ever seen you at Hogwarts before. Are you a first-year?" Hermione asked. Robin shook her head.

"Third-year, actually. But you're right; I haven't been to Hogwarts before." The three young wizards looked confused.

"But how is that possible?" Ron asked.

"My family's been home-schooling me. We move around a lot, and they only recently saw fit to send me to Hogwarts. My parents are rather…overprotective."

"Oh," Harry said. "Do you know what house you're going to be in?"

Robin appeared to think for a moment. "Gryffindor, I believe," she said slowly. "I visited the school over the summer, and they went ahead and placed me. Actually," she turned to Hermione, "I think we're rooming together. I remember seeing your name on the list they showed me."

"Great. We're all in Gryffindor too. You're going to love it," Harry said.

"Who could love anything about that horrid place," said a strange new voice. Robin looked up to see the blond boy that Oberon had pointed out to her earlier, and grinned when she realized that he had been one of the people shrieking at the monster books in the bookstore. She gave him the once-over, and smirked. She could have some fun with this one.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" Harry spat. Malfoy glared at him and was about to retort when he spotted Robin.

"What's this, Potter? Found another mugblood to join your pitiful little group of friends?" Malfoy sneered. Robin knitted her eyebrows and stood to meet the newcomer.

"Mugblood? Mugblood? Hmm…can't say I've ever heard of a mugblood before. Is it a type of snail? Or perhaps a frog? Of course, both are considered delicacies, so I suppose either way it's a compliment."

Malfoy looked absolutely dumbfounded by Robin's comment. His mouth hung open and he shook his head before answering. "What?"

Robin crossed her arms and raised her eyebrows. "I don't believe we've met. I'm Robin Gooden," she said, holding out her hand suddenly. Malfoy looked at it skeptically.

"Draco Malfoy," he answered, without shaking her hand.

"Ah," Robin said. "Well that explains it."

Malfoy looked at her suspiciously. "Explains what?"

"Well I suspected that you would be the class fool. I wanted to have my facts straight as I met my new classmates."

"Why you…" Anger contorted Malfoy's face and he shifted his gaze from Robin to Harry behind her. "What've you all been saying about me?"

"Oh, they've told me nothing," Robin answered swiftly. "I simply have a knack for sniffing out fools." She pointed looked Malfoy up and down. "And I'm glad to see that I have yet to be wrong." With that, Robin turned and shut the door in Malfoy's angry face.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked on with shocked and amused expressions. "That was brilliant!" Ron said.

"Do you really not know what a mugblood is?" Hermione asked. Robin shrugged her shoulders as she sat down.

"Eh, coming from that one, I figured it couldn't be anything good. Besides, the best way to deal with an idiot is to confuse them. And that's all I did."

The trio smiled and exchanged glances. This new girl was beginning to show some serious potential.


	4. Arrival and a Feast

A/N: Ah, so things are heating up now. Now that everyone's at the school, things are really going to get interesting.

Disclaimer: If I owned any of this, I would be rich. As it is, you don't want my student debt…trust me, Shakespeare is too dead to care.

Yay reviews! Oh, how I love my precious reviewers!

**Lady Morrison**: Glad I managed the unexpected. But remember: Puck is female in my fic. This is an important fact to keep in mind. Hope you enjoy the rest!

**Crossbow**: Thanks for the correction. I've yet to find a reliable beta reader, so mistakes are probably going to be made. Please point them out to me so that I can fix them. Other than that, I hope you like what you see.

**anotherblastedromantic**: I cannot tell you how much your reviews mean to me. Thank you so much for the reviews that have jump-started this story. I can't say whether or not Robin will hook up with anyone, though I can say most likely not. Think about it: she's hundreds of years old, how attracted is she really gonna be to a thirteen year-old? However, I can say that the friendship between Robin and the trio will be rather heartwarming. And, yes, Draco had better watch his back—Robin is certainly intrigued with the idea of tormenting the nasty boy. And he's not the only one who'd better watch out…

And with that, enjoy the show. And remember: save a muse, send a review!

Chapter 3: Arrival and a Feast

As the train neared Hogwarts, a light drizzle began to fall. By the time the Hogwarts Express rolled to a stop, it had become a full-fledged storm. The children exited the train as quickly as possible, the first-years following Hagrid to the boats and the older children filing away into carriages that whisked them off in the direction of the great castle that housed Hogwarts.

Robin stared out the rain-streaked window of the carriage, gazing up at the castle illuminated on the hillside. The old-fashioned setting warmed her heart—it had been far too long since she'd gazed upon a building of the ancients. As the carriages pulled up to the steps of the castle, the quartet exited quickly, following the crowd into the great hall. Everyone filed into their respective houses with excited chatter, and Robin kept close to Harry and the others as they slid into the benches that lined the Gryffindor table.

A hush fell over the gathered students as the giant doors to the hall swung open and Professor McGonagall led the first-year students to the front of the hall. The nervous new students cluttered together as the woman took her post beside the Sorting Hat and began reading out the names. Robin found herself glad that Oberon had found a way to get her in the right house without her having to be under that ridiculous hat. The disguised sprite listened to the Hat's song and rhymes with mirth, but was grateful that she'd avoided its snare—there was no telling what it might have been capable of seeing. Soon the new students were sorted into their respected houses, and Headmaster Dumbledore stood to welcome everyone back to Hogwarts.

Robin paid only idle attention to the great wizard's speech; she'd never been one for ceremony. But she did notice that as Dumbledore concluded his speech and gave the order for the feast to begin, food seemed to magically appear on the table. The sprite smiled in spite of herself—she saw through the magic of her cousins, the house elves. Robin quickly made a mental note to visit the kitchens at some point to pop in on the hobs. Perhaps they had seen or heard something that would give her master some clue as to where to look for Illyria.

At some point amid the chatter of the feast, Ron looked over at Harry and Robin sitting across from him and noticed something odd about the new girl's plate. "Oy, Robin," he called. She looked at him expectantly. "Why aren't you eating any meat?"

"Oh," Robin said. She glanced at her plate, then back at Ron. "I'm a vegetarian."

The red-headed boy nodded with only a slight look of confusion, and turned his attention back to his own plate. But his comment had caught Hermione's attention, and she to took notice of the new girl's choice of food. "But you're only eating vegetables. I understand being a vegetarian, but what could you possibly have against potatoes?"

This time Robin was caught off-guard. Unintentionally she had filled her plate with leafy green foods, not taking any interest in the meats or starches that lined the table. After a quick glance to the mortals' plates, she gathered that this was unusual behavior for a mortal child in these times. "Yes, well…" the sprite's quick mind stumbled for an answer, before she remembered something she'd noticed the last time she was in the mortal realm. "This is really all I'm used to. My mother isn't very big on carbs and the like." With a big smile Robin stuffed a big forkful of spinach leaves into her mouth.

The trio wore similar strange looks on their faces at the new girl's behavior; but then, nothing about her had seemed quite normal so far. With a shrug, the conversation moved on to other things, with much of it being filled with the sharing of information about the school with Robin. At some point however, the boys got off talking about Quidditch scores and games from over the summer, so the sprite allowed her attention to wander. The group of teachers on the platform caught her eye, and she studied them carefully, trying to discern if any of them would create a problem, or perhaps even be in league with the evil faerie herself.

Robin pondered over the teachers carefully. 'The half-giant Hagrid…hmm…no, he shouldn't present a problem,' she mused. The man was friendly to animals, which earned him favor in the fey's mind, and beside, Harry had greeted him warmly when they had first arrived. From there, Robin's gaze traveled slowly down the line, dismissing the adult wizards as potential threats until one in particular caught her attention. She poked Harry in the side to catch his attention.

"Who's that teacher there?" she asked, pointing to the stern-looking man in question. "The one with the dark hair that looks so…serious." Harry turned in his seat and followed her gaze to where Severus Snape sat in his chair, looking as though he'd eaten nothing but lemons all summer. With a sigh of disgust, Harry turned back around.

"Snape," he answered, his tone bordering between loathing and something else, some darker emotion that Robin couldn't put her finger on. At the sound of the teacher's name, Ron and Hermione also fell silent and glanced in the teacher's direction.

"He's the Potions teacher," Harry went on to explain. "But he hates everyone who's not in Slytherin."

"And he hates Harry in particular," Ron added helpfully. Robin looked at him, curious.

"He hates everyone," Hermione said, lowering her voice and leaning over, closer to Robin. "Snape is the head of Slytherin house. That's why he favors them so much."

"And why he treats everyone else so badly," Harry finished. He took a gulp from his goblet before turning and giving Robin a serious look. "Best to just stay out of his way," he cautioned.

Robin nodded in understanding, and the trio seemed to dismiss the subject. But the sprite glanced back up at the greasy-looking teacher once more, an inkling of a smile in her eyes. Oh, she could have _fun_ with this one…

Most of the other teachers Robin dismissed with little more than a thought. Minerva McGonagall was a wise one; she'd have to watch her tricks around the mortal shapeshifter. As for Albus Dumbledore…the sprite let her gaze rest on the Headmaster for a long moment. Dumbledore was the reason that Oberon wouldn't step foot on the school's campus. It wasn't that the old wizard posed an actual _threat_ to the Fairy King, but simply that a wizard that great would certainly be able to detect the presence of a fey as powerful as Oberon. Her lord had even warned Robin to shy away from the Headmaster whenever she could, for fear that he would see through her guise. Though the more she studied the wizard, the more she was certain that he would not object to the aid of the fey in the matter of protecting his students.

Suddenly, Robin found her eyes locked with that of the elderly wizard. With a nervous smile, she looked away quickly, appearing embarrassed at being caught staring, despite the Headmaster's kind grin. Oh yes, she would have to be wary of him.

* * *

A/N: Okay, sorry if it's a bit short. But now that everyone's where they need to be, the real fun can begin!

Preview of Chapter 4: Potions mischief abounds…

Save a muse, send a review!


	5. Mortals Shouldn't Be So Serious

A/N: Hello my pretties! I'm terribly sorry for the delay in updates; we all know how finiky my muses are, and this chapter has been giving me a lot of trouble. But perhaps my update will inspire certain other people (coughFreyacoughcough) into updating. Anywho, here's the Potions mischief I promised. Enjoy!

Chapter 5: Mortals Shouldn't Be So Serious

Robin shifted in her seat uncomfortably, rolling her shoulders in the school robe. She wasn't accustomed to wearing such odd clothing; her own faerie guise was certainly much more comfortable, and the clothes she'd worn the past few times into the mortal realms hadn't been nearly so awkward. The sprite casually observed the hushed conversations of the students around her, interested to find that many of the children appeared downright frightened. Though the dankness of the dungeon classroom did nothing for Robin's mood, she found it odd that the mysterious Snape inspired such fear in his students. As the doors to the classroom burst open, the students fell silent, and a stern-looking Snape strode into the room. Taking in the wizard's sour expression as he faced the room, the trickster smiled inwardly. Oh yes, this _would_ be fun…

Snape looked his class over with a look of disdain, before saying "Quills out." He turned and began writing on the chalkboard. The students began frantically copying the information that he was writing on the chalkboard. Hermione noticed Robin just sitting there and elbowed her in the side. Robin looked at her and the girl gestured to the chalkboard, then to the blank parchment in front of the disguised sprite. Robin jumped slightly, then nodded to Hermione, slowly withdrawing her quill and 'copying' the notes that Snape was writing on the board.

Of course, she was really doing nothing of the sort. Robin smiled to herself as she wrote down various ideas on how to torment the serious Potions teacher. If anyone were to look at her parchment, however, they would have seen an exact copy of the information that was being written on the board. Robin paused in her writing as an idea popped into her head just as Snape was speaking.

"I am expecting each of you to be able to recount all of these ingredients from memory next class," he said, still writing on the board.

"But you should in fact ignore that I still sleep with a teddy bear," answered a very Snape-like voice from the back corner of the classroom. The students looked at each other with looks that ranged from amazement to shock to amusement as an enraged Snape whirled around to face the class. The snickers of laughter silenced as he glared at the class.

"Who did that?" he asked in a low, menacing voice. Silence. "I see. Someone thought that it would be funny to try out an imitation spell their first day back in my classroom. That person obviously desires to be serving detention for the next six months." Still nothing. After a few more moments of silence, Snape slowly turned back to the chalkboard and began writing again. A full thirty seconds after he had turned his back, the same fake-Snape voice spoke up again, this time from the front corner of the classroom.

"But I still live happily with my mummy when I'm not at school." This time the snickers of laughter exploded even as the students tried to stifle them. Snape's ordinarily pale face was bright red. He glared at the class furiously, and his gaze seemed to settle where most of the Gryffindor students were sitting.

"Quiet!" He snapped, and most of the children immediately stifled their laughter. Harry and Ron, however, were not quite so quick in hiding their amusement, and Snape's wrath honed in on them instantly.

"Mr. Potter, perhaps you would like to explain to the class what is so amusing," Snape said, crossing his arms across his chest.

Harry rubbed his hand over his mouth as though to wipe the grin from his face. "N-no sir," he answered, just barely able to keep from laughing again.

"Then perhaps you could share with the class just where you managed to find such a spell so quickly after returning from break. Perhaps the Weasley twins had something to do with it?" Snape asked giving Ron a glare as well. Both boys sobered when they realized that Snape was well on his way to blaming them for the prank, even though they'd had nothing to do with it.

Robin quickly realized that what she'd been told about Snape having a special dislike for Harry was true. And she couldn't really let them get in trouble for something that she'd done…that was just rude. Looking around the room, inspiration suddenly dawned on the sprite, and she smiled to herself. This was going to be good.

Carefully, she reached into one of her inner pockets hidden under the folds of her robe. Sliding her hands into her lap, she cupped a sprig in her palms, and placed a small Glamour over it. In the blink of an eye, she crossed the room and placed it in front of Malfoy, and was back in her seat. Snape never even noticed she was gone; even Hermione sitting next to her only felt a brief breeze as the sprite accomplished her goal. Robin allowed herself a bemused smile at the mortals' expense; what was quick to them was achingly slow to her. She could, after all, girdle the world in forty minutes (though on a good day it was less); the puck had no problem taking a few steps without being notice.

Snape's glare was still fixed on Harry and Ron, determined to punish the boys even though he had no proof they had done anything wrong. Only Robin's small hand rising meekly into the air caught his attention, and his head snapped to the side to acknowledge the new student. He'd barely given the girl a glance when he'd entered the classroom, seeing her as only another Gryffindor; now he turned his glare towards her wondering what she could possibly deem important enough to interrupt him. "What?" he snapped.

Everyone's attention was suddenly on Robin. Harry and Ron, though grateful that Snape's attention was no longer on them, exchanged a brief glance of confusion and worry at what the new girl was about to do. They switched their attention to the girls sitting in front of them as Robin started to answer Snape.

"Pardon me, sir, but I think that perhaps Draco could offer you some explanation of the outbursts," she answered shyly, pointing behind the teacher to where the blond boy sat confused. Malfoy had been laughing so hard with his friends over Harry's plight that he'd failed to notice the brightly colored box on his desk. The box caught Snape's attention and he crossed the room in broad strokes, swooping up the mysterious item. Malfoy was too confused and shocked to offer much protest.

Holding the box up to eye-level, Snape read the cover angrily. _Sermimtor's Mimic Machine; Confuse Your Friends, Annoy Your Enemies!_ Snape looked from the box to Malfoy in anger. "Some new-fangled device from Zonko's, no doubt," the Potions teacher said. Malfoy only stuttered in confusion.

"But I didn't…I don't know…that's not…" Malfoy seemed unable to settle on any one explanation. Robin carefully bit back a grin as she watched the mortal's confusion. Oh, she was enjoying this game already!

Snape appeared unimpressed. "Twenty points from Slytherin," he said, before turning and walking back towards the front of the classroom, placing the box on his desk as he went. Robin watched it carefully as class continued; the glamour would fade within a day or two, and by then Snape would have "misplaced" it. The sprite decided that she'd risked enough mischief for one class; Oberon _had_ warned her to be subtle. But she was determined to make more fun with this overly serious teacher. It was always the stern ones that were the most fun to crack…

* * *

"I can't believe he let Malfoy get off so light!" Ron complained as the children headed to their next class. "If that had been one of us, we'd been in detention till graduation!"

"I just can't believe he actually had the guts to do it," Harry answered. "Especially in Snape's class."

"It does seem a bit odd," Hermione mused. "I mean, Malfoy is one of Snape's favorites, and vice versa. Why on earth would he prank one of his favorite teachers?"

"Oh, who knows!" Ron exclaimed, clearly not wanting to get wrapped up in another one of Hermione's mysteries. After a moment's silence he added, "It was brilliant though."

"Hilarious," Harry said. "I didn't think Malfoy had that much of a sense of humor." Then he paused, as though remembering something important. He turned to where Robin was following the gang quietly.

"Thanks for pointing that thing out to Snape, by the way. I don't think anyone else would have had the courage to interrupt him." Robin smiled shyly, ducking her head at the praise.

"Oh, it was nothing," she answered, blushing ever so slightly. "I couldn't just let him punish the two of you when that thing was in plain sight on Malfoy's desk."

Harry smiled his approval at the new girl before Hermione pointed out that if they didn't hurry they'd be late for Transfiguration. Robin smiled as they rushed down the hallways; it would seem she had succeeded in earning the children's trust.

* * *

There you are, kiddies! Now leave a review so that my muses will not abandon me again. Remember: save a muse, send a review!


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